Venus Williams, the older sister to Serena Williams, has been defeated by Coca Gauff for the second consecutive year. When the 2019 Wimbledon took place, the tennis community became shocked when Coca Gauff defeated Venus Williams. This unknown 15-year old dominated over Williams at the grand slam tournament, with the former queen of tennis being dethroned. Venus wasn’t able to reacquire her vengeance against Coca Gauff at the 2020 Australian Open and history repeated itself with Coca taking victory at a 7-6 and 6-3 against Williams. This young star displayed how far her capabilities have come in the last eight months, and this has led to the competition fearing this formidable woman.

The maturity and athletics displayed by Coca Gauff have been remarkable. It’s the exact opposite of Venus Williams, who comes off aggressive and upset when mistakes are made. The 39-year-old athlete is competing in the Australian Open for the 20th time and cannot strike with the same power that made the Williams famous. The emotional way that Venus was playing allowed for Coca Gauff to implement problem-solving techniques and determining which strategies were required to defeat her opponent. Not many athletes at 15 can achieve this mental warfare which competing.

Previous professional tennis players that were this young are known for being erratic. Improvements in skillsets came after defeats against stronger opponents. It should be noted that figuring out the tactics of an opponent mid-match isn’t easy for any professional, let alone for somebody experiencing the Australian Open for the 1st time. Coco Gauff is currently ranked 67th in the Women’s Tennis Association, with that rank slated to increase with her defeat over Venus.

Venus Williams Failing

Venus Williams has struggled to compete at professional levels in her older age. It’s been two years since she last reached the Australian Open final in Melbourne. Venus is months away from turning forty, with sports analysts determining that age is beginning to factor into her skillsets. Movements have become slow, with her infamous backhand side becoming weak. Williams removed herself from the Brisbane Open after experiencing multiple setbacks. The mental anxiety facing Venus Williams in 2020 in severe, which leads little room for improvement. It’s shocking to see an athlete known for their calm behaviour turn into an aggressive, uncentred athlete.

When it applies to Coca Gauff, she competes next against the Czech Republic’s Barbora Strycova. Defeating this competitor would move Gauff up into the third round against Naomi Osaka, the defending champion for the WTA. Winning the Australian Open championship would provide this young athlete with respect, which she deserves amongst fellow WTA opponents.